1. Field
The following description relates to a method and apparatus for estimating battery life.
2. Description of Related Art
Many electronic devices are equipped with a battery, such as a secondary battery, that is repeatedly charged during the longevity of the device. As a number of times a secondary battery is discharged and recharged increases, the capacity of the battery may become gradually reduced. That is, with each charge cycle, the battery life for the electronic device is shortened. Due to the reduction in the battery life, an initial battery capacity may not be guaranteed after many cycles of charging and discharging. With the continual reduction in battery capacity, the power, operating time and stability of the electronic device may become compromised, and eventually the battery may have to be replaced with a replacement battery.
A battery in an electronic device with a compact size such as, for example, a mobile phone may be easily replaced; thus, great inconvenience is not imposed on the user even if the user cannot verify when the batter needs to be replaced in advance. On the other hand, the replacement of a battery in an electric vehicle (EV) may require great expenditure and considerable time. Accordingly, it is important for the user to accurately determine the expected time for replacing such a battery. The expected time for replacing a battery may be estimated by determining a life state of the battery, in quantities such as, for example, a remaining useful life (RUL).